Speak up

January 18, 2018

Got a stake in Sydney’s night time economy? The NSW government is offering to listen to you

Running Time Out for the last ten years, I never miss the opportunity to ask those I come into contact on a night out, be they Uber or cab drivers, shopkeepers, hospitality professionals, or entertainers: “how’s business?”

My interest? I want to understand the direction in which Sydney is moving as a global city when it comes to our going out habits.

This is as much in furtherance of Time Out’s mission – to inspire our audience to go out – as it is so that I can help our teams to work with our clients to address their ever-intensifying pleas to help them reach, engage and bring audiences through their doors. Translation: where have all the people gone?

Our challenges here are not solely about the lockout (although that hasn’t helped). A vibrant city, like any ecosystem, needs health across multiple facets. Is there reliable public transport? Is the entertainment offering affordable? Do regulation and planning issues facilitate or inhibit the going out experience?

If, like me, you believe live arts and culture is essential to our civic experience – and if, like me, you believe Sydney is falling short of what it could be as a creative city – there is an opportunity to get the ear of the NSW government, through an upper house inquiry that is currently open for submissions. If you are a stakeholder in our nightlife, arts or music economy, I urge you to prepare a submission. While there is no guarantee that change will follow, this is a meaningful opportunity for your voice to be heard.